1.1 Main definitions

✅ System

set of connected elements, with the purpose of managing information automatically

• not necessarily electrical ❌
• first ever copmuter was an Abacus

✅ Electricity

a current that gives energy tot he computer

• for a regular computer, it is an alternate current
• 220v is the necessary voltage
• needs to be transformed into a lower level in order to enter the computer

✅ Power supply

the device to lower the electricity level

• transform the wave into ➡️ square wave
• top value: 1
  • value of an element is 1 if the voltage in that element is high
  • average of 5v
• lower value: 0
  • value of element is 0 is the voltage is low
  • average of 0.5v
• unplugged: 0v
• and there is no intermediate value.
• 👉🏻 Thus, computer works in binary

✅ Microcomputing system

computing system that works in binary with a power supply of values between 0.5v and 5v

• ✔️ Condensators
• Internally, information is stored in chips called condensators

• condensators store the voltage

• ✔️ Transistors
• 3 pins
• distribute the voltage stored in condensators to other elements

• or block the voltage from other elements

• ✔️ Integrated circuit
• place the transitors next to each other

• make the computer smaller

• ✔️ GLSI computer
• Giga Large Scale of Integration
• maximum integration
• ❓ limit is a matter of the temperature ⭕️, not of dimensions ❌

• when we have a GLSI computer, we are talking about the micro processors

• ✔️ Micro processors
• the brain of the computer made by transistors at the maximum scale of integration called a GLSI

💡 How to solve the problem of temperature

we need to cool the system

• 1️⃣ use dissipator
• take the heat out of the componenets
• 2️⃣ use a fan
• 3️⃣ use a heatsink
• like a corridor
• 4️⃣ liquid refrigeration
• use liquid to refresh the PC
• 5️⃣ nitrogen refrigeration
• the most powerful refrigeration

• ⚠️ however, might destroy some elements of the computer

• ❌ Quantic computers are not in the market bc they are too powerful
• thus release too much heat
• that we cannot cool it down

✅ Code

dictionary to understand 0s and 1s

• when we transmit 0s and 1s, we are transmitting a code
• networking: connecting computers in a network
• in order to network, we need a dictionary that transforms the sequence of 0s and 1s into smth human-readable
• ❓ the code is the dictionary that helps humans translate binary into human language, and visa versa.

✅ Coding

coding: transform reality ➡️ binary
decoding: transform binary ➡️ reality

✅ Codec

• formed by the coder and the decoder

• ✔️ audio codec: binary ➡️ sound

• located in the sound card

• ✔️ video codec: binary ➡️ video/images

• located in the graphics card

• ✔️ text codec: binary ➡️ text
• located in micro processor
• modern keyboards also help with text codec

✅ Driver

program that installs new codecs and other elements,
either brand new or better ones into the computer

• Installing a driver improves the capability of a computer